Find uplifting stories about heroes, innovations, and solutions
49 results for "ancient life"
A forgotten museum fossil sat in storage for 64 years before revealing secrets about a mysterious gap in Earth's animal evolution. Scientists now believe an entire era of ancient life was simply waiting to be rediscovered.
Scientists just mapped your blood's family tree all the way back to single-celled organisms that lived 700 million years ago. The discovery reveals how your immune system carries evolutionary secrets from Earth's earliest life forms.
Scientists discovered that the immune cells flowing through your veins right now evolved from single-celled organisms that lived 700 million years ago. This breakthrough reveals how your body still carries the legacy of Earth's earliest ancestors.
Construction workers in Germany just unearthed a massive wooden and stone structure from 2,400 years ago, so well preserved that archaeologists first thought it was modern. The rare Iron Age discovery is rewriting what we know about ancient life along the Main River.
Scientists using cutting-edge imaging just rewrote the story of ancient life on Earth. What researchers thought were tiny worms turned out to be giant bacteria visible to the naked eye.
What scientists thought were 540-million-year-old traces of tiny worms turned out to be fossilized bacteria and algae, some visible to the naked eye. The discovery rewrites our understanding of when small animals first appeared on Earth.
Bacalar Lagoon in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula is home to stromatolites, ancient life forms that existed 10,000 years ago, but an 800% tourism surge threatens this hidden jewel. Now scientists and local eco-lodges are showing visitors how to explore this wonder without destroying it.
Researchers discovered crucial ancestors of complex life hiding in Australia's ancient stromatolites, living fossils that may explain how all complex organisms evolved. This breakthrough connects modern science to Earth's earliest life forms.
South Korean researchers discovered the first new dinosaur species in the country in 15 years, complete with rare skull fossils hidden inside rock. The tiny creature, named Dooly after a beloved cartoon character, is revealing secrets about ancient life through cutting-edge scanning technology.
NASA scientists discovered that Earth's earliest life forms relied on molybdenum over 3 billion years ago, even though the metal was incredibly scarce. This finding rewrites what we know about how life adapts and what alien worlds might need to support it.
NASA's Curiosity rover discovered seven never-before-seen organic molecules in a Martian rock, bringing the strongest evidence yet that ancient Mars had the chemistry needed for life. One molecule found contains the building blocks similar to DNA and RNA.
NASA's Curiosity rover discovered 21 organic molecules in a Martian rock, the strongest evidence yet that the Red Planet once had the chemistry to support life. The find suggests ancient Mars had lakes and streams that could have nurtured living things billions of years ago.
Scientists discovered impossibly detailed fossils beneath an Australian farm, with spider hairs and fish eyes perfectly preserved in iron-rich rock that shouldn't preserve anything. The find rewrites the rules on where to hunt for ancient life.
Scientists successfully revived a microscopic animal frozen in Arctic ice for 24,000 years, and it immediately began reproducing. This breakthrough reveals new possibilities for understanding how life endures extreme conditions across vast stretches of time.
Scientists in China discovered 700 fossils that push back the origin of complex life by millions of years. The find suggests the famous "Cambrian Explosion" may have been more of a slow burn than a sudden boom.
Scientists in China discovered 700 fossils that push back the origin of complex life by millions of years, revealing our ancient ancestors existed far earlier than we thought. The find bridges a massive gap in our understanding of how life evolved from simple microbes to the incredible diversity we see today.
%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Ftf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffiler_public%2F6c%2F1b%2F6c1b6e38-1b30-41c0-a5ac-f8c6fcf1ca11%2Fpia24173-1c-16.webp)
NASA's Curiosity rover discovered the most diverse collection of organic molecules ever found on Mars, including seven never seen before on the red planet. While not proof of ancient life, the finding strengthens evidence that Mars could have supported living organisms billions of years ago.
NASA's Curiosity rover discovered 21 organic molecules in a Martian rock, including seven never seen on the red planet before. The findings strengthen evidence that Mars could have supported life billions of years ago.
NASA's Curiosity rover discovered organic molecules on Mars that could be chemical building blocks for life, strengthening the case that the Red Planet once had the right chemistry to support living organisms. The 2020 find is the most diverse collection of carbon-based molecules ever found on another planet.
NASA's Curiosity rover discovered diverse organic molecules on Mars that have been preserved for 3.5 billion years, offering the strongest evidence yet that the Red Planet could have once supported life. While not definitive proof, the finding marks a major breakthrough in humanity's search for ancient life beyond Earth.
Showing 20 of 49